LIVE FROM NEw YORK from page 27 f& ,atk Left: Band members, kneeling: Brandon Kovnat ofWest Bloomfield, Daniel Stein of Franklin, Cantor Dubov, Chas Williams of Bloomfield Hills, Erica Wedes of Huntington Woods, Aleksandra Dubov ofWest Bloomfield, and Sarah Rollins of Farmington. Middle row, standing: Jason Nunez of Southfield, Andrew Becker of Huntington Woods, Justin Wedes of Huntington Woods, Oren Shani of Rochester Hills, David Silver ofWest Bloomfield, Emily Schwartz of Birmingham, Alexandra Peri ofWest Bloomfield and Jackie Winkelman of Bloomfield Hills. Back row: Molly Mardit of Huntington Woods, Andrew Lapin of Huntington Woods, Keith Schonberger ofWest Bloomfield Joshua Garvin of Berkley, Yuriy Leonovich of Franklin, Josh Rollins of Farmington and Jefflg Simon ofWest Bloomfield. Right: Band parent Barry Mardit of Huntington Woods offers a tip to band members in New York City. and "God Bless America". in, New York said they've never seen it quite like In the end, the trip was a huge success; the par- the way they saw it on the tour. ents and the band members were very glad they Many of those who were on the trip agree that had gone. the highlight was the performance at Carnegie When asked whether he would like to go back to Hall. When the performance was over, the crowd JEFFREY SIMON New York with the band, Keith Schonberger, 16, was ecstatic. Every person in the room was on his Special to the Jewish News of West Bloomfield replied, "I definitely would." or her feet, screaming and clapping with excite- He said, "Traveling with the band is always the ment. The audience and the band alike thought Two years ago, Cantor Stephen Dubov announced high point of being a part of it, as I'm sure all of that the performance was the best of the band's the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan would be going the other band members would agree. However, I six-year career. to Carnegie Hall in New. York City. think our next tour is going to be the long-awaited Carnegie Hall was not the only place we per- At this remark, some people laughed and formed. The next day, we woke up bright and early European, Euro-Disney trip. We'll keep our fingers thought, "That'll never happen." Little did we crossed." I I to eat breakfast and get on a bus to the Jewish know that, with dedication, hard work and prac, Community Center on 76th street. The band tice, we would be playing at Carnegie Hall in two played for a group of about 100 kids aged 4-6 who Jeffrey Simon, 16, ofWest Bloomfield has played years. clarinet in the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan for more went to day camp there. The kids instantly loved Though the trip lasted only four days, we the music, and they and their counselors were jubi- than four years. He also plays in the symphony and packed in a week's worth of activities, with the jazz bands at West Bloomfield High School. He lantly singing and dancing to every song we majority of touring done on a double-decker bus. attends Temple Beth El. played, including "Hava Nagila," "Zemer Atik" Even those who had previously been to, or lived Practice Makes Perfect Auditions for the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan will take place this October for musicians in grades 5-12 with two years experience on their instruments. For infor- mation or to purchase a copy of the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan's Rind-raising CD, Carnegie Hall or Bust; call Congregation Chaye Olam at (248) 752-6669.1 Our Kidz Klez Adventure MOLLY E. MARDIT Special to the Jewish News I'd always dreamed of one day performing in Carnegie Hall. It seemed to be an almost unattain- able feat. However, my dream as well as the dreams of others came true when our band performed there on July 1. Under the direction of Cantor Stephen Dubov, and the support of our parents and friends, the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan made its pilgrimage to New York City. Upon our arrival, we traveled to the Empire State Building. Later, we all boarded a double- decker bus to tour Manhattan. For three incredible hours, everyone absorbed the beautiful sights and sounds of the city. It was alive with diversity and filled with a rich cultural history that we were all 8/15 2003 28 able to learn about that night. The next day was our performance in Carnegie Hall, and I can honestly say it was the best we've ever sounded. All of us played our hearts out and the music blended together fantastically. At that moment, I knew we were really a part of some- thing bigger than ourselves and that we were so --- lucky to be granted such a special opportunity. We also visited several other places such as Chinatown, Little Italy, Wall Street, SoHo, Times Square, Central Park, Greenwich Village and the Brooklyn Bridge. We drove by the homes of many famous celebrities, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Madonna, Katherine Hepburn and Walter Cronkite, as well as the Dakota apartments, where John Lennon was assassinated. At Ground Zero, I felt particularly impacted. One of our band members --- Daniel Stein, 16 of Franklin --- played "Taps" on his trumpet. Everyone recited prayers and we sang "Oseh Shalom" together as we attracted the attention and participation of other tourists and passersby. I thought sadly about how many innocent peo- ple lost their lives on that fateful September morning. Personally, it was very hard to believe that the Twin Towers actually collapsed. It was too horrible to be true, and for this, we prayed for all who lost their lives that day. Our last day on the trip, we boarded a ferry to Ellis Island and also took a tour of the Museum of Jewish Heritage. At these places, I learned so much about my people. At Ellis Island, I could feel a presence with me as I walked along from exhibit to exhibit. It was almost as if my ancestors had come alive and were walking with me in that building. In the museum, I was reminded of the chal- lenges our people faced and the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish heart. Because of the fun, cama- raderie and overall experience, I knew all of the kids so much better now, and we had developed lasting friendships. LI Molly E. Mardit, 14, is a Huntington Woods resi- dent who plays piano in the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan. She attends Berkley High School and Congregation Beth Shalom.